Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 172H near Bountiful, UT — 2010-06-05

Final reportWPR10CA279
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Date
2010-06-05
Location
Bountiful, UT, USA
Airport
KBTF
Aircraft
CESSNA 172H
Registration
N3948R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that she was flying into a canyon at 6,100 feet with the intent to climb through it and over the surrounding terrain. During the ascent the airplane started to lose airspeed and altitude. She attempted to turn around, but she felt that the airplane would stall due to an insufficient amount of airspeed and she abandoned the attempt. The pilot initiated a forced landing into trees at the bottom of a ravine and the airplane received substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and empennage. The calculated density altitude for the existing atmospheric conditions was 8,238 feet. The published maximum operating altitude for the airplane is 13,100 feet. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine at the time of the accident. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by acquiring enough altitude prior to entering the canyon.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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